Mack Brown Hired at UNC

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— courtesy UNC Sports Information and goheels.com

MACK BROWN RETURNS TO LEAD TAR HEEL FOOTBALL PROGRAM

CHAPEL HILL – Mack Brown, whose charismatic style and disciplined approach propelled the University of North Carolina’s football program to the top 10 and the University of Texas to a national championship, is returning to Chapel Hill with the goal of leading another Tar Heel resurgence.

Brown, who will be inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame in December, won more college football games than any coach in the country over a 24-year period from 1990-2013.

He was previously the head coach of the Tar Heels from 1988 to 1997. He led Carolina to three 10-win seasons, six consecutive bowl games and two top-10 AP finishes. At Texas, the Longhorns won the 2005 BCS national title, two conference titles and four Big 12 South Division titles.

“Mack Brown has a proven record of building great teams, and he doesn’t just develop football players – he also develops people of strong character,” says Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “He knows how to win championships, and he expects his student-athletes to win in the classroom and community, as well. We are excited about his plans for our football program, and I am thrilled to welcome Coach Brown and wife Sally back to Chapel Hill.”

Brown (was) introduced as the Tar Heels’ head football coach at a press conference at noon today (Tuesday, Nov. 27).

“Sally and I love North Carolina, we love this University and we are thrilled to be back,’’ Brown said. “The best part of coaching is the players – building relationships, building confidence, and ultimately seeing them build success on and off the field. We can’t to wait to meet our current student-athletes and reconnect with friends, alumni and fellow Tar Heel coaches. We thank UNC’s Board of Trustees, Chancellor Folt and Bubba Cunningham for supporting our return to the Carolina family.”

Brown originally came to Chapel Hill after head coaching stints at Appalachian State (1983) and Tulane (1985-87). The Tar Heels went 69-46-1, posted winning records in each of his final eight seasons and finished in the AP top 25 four times. The 1996 team went 10-2, beat West Virginia in the Gator Bowl and finished No. 10 in the AP poll. A year later, UNC was 10-1 in the regular season and was No. 4 in the final coaches’ poll and No. 6 in the AP poll.

“This is a big day for Carolina,” says Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “We are welcoming back a coach who built a winning football program during his first tenure in Chapel Hill – one that reflected the values, culture, and commitment to the excellence we aspire to in everything we do at this University. While chancellor, I have gotten to know Mack and have always admired his commitment to the success of student-athletes and passion for the college game. I’m looking forward to welcoming Mack and Sally back home to Carolina.

At Texas, Brown went 158-48 (.767) from 1998-2013. The Longhorns won 10 or more games in nine consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in NCAA history, finished in the AP top 10 seven times, played in bowl games in a UT-record 12 consecutive seasons and set a school record with 10 bowl victories. He was national coach of the year in 2005 and 2008. In addition to winning the 2005 national championship by beating No. 1 ranked USC in the Rose Bowl, the Longhorns played in the national title game in 2009.

Brown has a 244-122-1 overall record in 30 seasons as a head coach, and stands 10th on the all-time wins list. He is second in all-time wins at both UNC and Texas.

He’s coached 37 first-team All-Americas (seven at UNC), six Academic All-Americas (one Tar Heel), 110 first-team all-conference selections (34 at UNC), 11 conference players of the year (one Tar Heel) and two College Football Hall of Famers in Dré Bly (UNC) and Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams (Texas).

Brown has wins in the Rose, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator, Holiday, Peach, Alamo and Carquest Bowls.

The NFL selected 108 of his players in the NFL Draft, including 22 first-round picks (six Tar Heels and 16 Longhorns).

Eighty percent of his players at UNC earned their degrees; at Texas, more than a third of his players earned 3.0 grade point averages and were named to the Big 12 honor rolls. From 2006-13, Texas placed a league-high 159 players on the Academic All-Big 12 team, 35 more than any other school.

The Cookeville, Tenn., native played collegiately at Florida State. He worked the last five years as a commentator for ESPN. He and his wife Sally, who met in Chapel Hill, have four children (Barbara, Chris, Matt, Katherine) and six grandchildren.

Financial Terms
• 5-year contract
• Base Salary – $750,000 per year
• Supplemental Compensation – $2 million per year
• Nike – $200,000 per year
• Learfield (personal services) – $500,000 per year
• Expenses – $50,000 per year

ACC Football Championship Week 2018

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— courtesy of The ACC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
@ACCFootball

Upcoming ACC Football Schedule:

Saturday, Dec. 1, Time, TV, Sirius, XM, Internet
2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game
Clemson (12-0) vs. Pitt (7-5), 8 p.m., ABC, 84, 84, 84
Series: Pitt leads, 2-0; Last meeting: Pitt, 43-42 (Nov. 12, 2016)
ABC: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
ESPN Radio: Bill Rosinski, David Norrie, Molly McGrath

East Carolina (3-8) at NC State (8-3), Noon, ACCNE, 134, 387, 977
Series: NC State leads, 16-13; Last Meeting: East Carolina 33-30 (2016)
ACCNE: Kevin Fitzgerald, Stan Lewter

Marshall (8-3) at Virginia Tech (5-6), Noon, ACCNE
Series: Virginia Tech leads, 10-2; Last Meeting: Virginia Tech 29-21, 3ot (2013)
ACCNE: Josh Appel, Hutson Mason

Setting the Scene
Matchup: No. 2 Clemson will face Pitt in the 2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 1, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Coastal Division Champion Pitt will be making its first appearance in the game, while Atlantic Division Champion Clemson returns for the fourth straight season and sixth time overall. Clemson is trying to become the first team in ACC history to win four consecutive league championship games.

Prime Time Kickoff: The game will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be televised by ABC. This marks the 10th consecutive year the game has been televised in prime time.

Advancing: The winner of the conference championship game has gone on to play in the National Championship Game or compete in the College Football Playoff each of the previous five seasons.

Atlantic Division holds Championship Advantage: The Atlantic Division team has won nine of 13 previous Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship games, including the last seven in a row. Florida State (4) and Clemson (4) have the most titles. The last Coastal Division team to win the championship game was Virginia Tech in 2010.

Perfect Record: Clemson, which clinched a spot in the game three weeks ago with a win over Boston College, finished a perfect 8-0 in the Atlantic Division. The Tigers have won the last three ACC titles.

Previous Meetings: Clemson and Pitt have met just twice previously on the gridiron with the Panthers holding a 2-0 lead. Pitt beat Clemson, 34-3, in the 1977 Gator Bowl, and knocked off the Tigers, 43-42, in Clemson’s 2016 National Championship season.

Representing the ACC: Pitt, which joined the ACC in 2013, is the sixth different team to represent the Coastal Division in the last six years. The Panthers are the 10th different program to play in the game. Virginia Tech and Clemson lead all teams with six overall appearances, followed by Florida State with five.

Atlantic
• Clemson (2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• Florida State (2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• Boston College (2007, 2008)
• Wake Forest (2006)

Coastal
• Pitt (2018)
• Miami (2017)
• Virginia Tech (2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2016)
• North Carolina (2015)
• Georgia Tech (2006, 2009, 2012, 2014)
• Duke (2013)

Bowl Eligibility: Ten ACC teams are bowl eligible, including Clemson (12-0), Syracuse (9-3), NC State (8-3), Boston College (7-5), Duke (7-5), Virginia (7-5), Georgia Tech (7-5), Pitt (7-5), Miami (7-5) and Wake Forest (6-6). Virginia Tech (5-6) is one win away from postseason eligibility and plays Marshall on Saturday at noon. A win would extend the nation’s longest active bowl streak to 26. The ACC leads all conferences with 21 bowl bids over the last two years (11 in 2016, 10 in 2017).

Panthers Fall to Seahawks

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— by Patrick Magoon (patrickmagoon.com) of WIZS

The Carolina Panthers are a great football team until they get in their own way – a growing concern for the franchise. Despite losing to the Seahawks in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, the Panthers’ remain in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. Here are five takeaways from Carolina’s 27-30 week 12 loss to Seattle.

Another game decided in the fourth quarter

Carolina has struggled to put games away this season. They start sloppy and then pick up the pace in the second quarter. Third quarter comes around and they fail to make adjustments, which then calls for a heroic performance from Cam Newton and his offense in the fourth quarter to pull out a win. The Panthers’ score a league-worst 1.3 points in the third quarter, but rank second overall in points scored in the fourth quarter (10).

A series of missed opportunities hindered success in the red zone

Several points were left on the field after the Panthers’ experienced a series of unpropitious events through different parts of today’s game. It started early on in the first quarter when head coach Ron “Riverboat” Rivera chose to keep the offense on the field on fourth down to try and keep the drive alive in the red zone. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner called for a quarterback run. Newton held the ball close, tucking his head behind his offensive line. His long legs churned as he fought for the extra yards. The initial ruling on the field was turnover on downs. Players, coaches and fans immediately turned to the big screen to watch replay from a camera that showed what looked like a successful first down run. Head coach Ron Rivera pondered the idea of challenging the ruling on the field for a few minutes before finally throwing the red flag. After further review, the decision on the field was upheld, and a potential scoring drive was cut short.

About five minutes later, Carolina’s offense unit reaches the red zone again, after back-to-back big gains from wide receivers Jarius Wright and D.J. Moore. The Panthers’ may have left that drive with three points, but they were in an excellent position to potentially cap off their exciting trip down the field with a touchdown if Turner had let Newton throw a pass into the end zone. Turner tried forcing McCaffrey into the end zone, which didn’t work. McCaffrey carried the ball three times in a row when Carolina was within 12 yards of the goal line and got nowhere.

The missed opportunities didn’t stop there. The Panthers’ had a chance to seal the win with a field goal from kicker Graham Gano. At the end of the fourth quarter, both teams had 27. Gano needed to make a 51-yard field goal. In short, he missed the mark by a few inches. After the game, Gano said he thought he hit the ball well.

An usual amount of fumbles

The final score of today’s game could have been very different had the Panthers’ not been able to recover their fumbles. Carolina fumbled a season-high five times. McCaffrey, the player responsible for three of those fumbles, needs to a better job of holding onto the ball moving forward.

Curtis Samuel and Moore are the future of the franchise

The absence of wide receivers Devin Funchess and Torrey Smith paved the way for another solid outing for playmakers Moore and Samuel. With every week that passes, Newton strengthens the mental bond he shares with his receivers. Samuel, again, proved that he is a hot target in the red zone. He took his first carry of the game 25 yards to Seattle’s 14-yard line. Two plays later, he reached the end zone – a seven-yard reception. Moore caught eight passes for 91 yards. These two versatile receivers have shown that can make a big play from just about anywhere on the field. Their physicality and speed allow them to terrorize the secondary unit of opposing teams when they get the ball in open space.

Newton was nearly flawless

Another remarkable performance by Newton was lost in a loss. Newton hardly missed a beat, throwing for 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His only mistake was a forced pass to tight end Chris Manhertz in the end zone, which was picked off by Bradley McDougald. He went 25/30 and finished today’s game with a QBR of 110.6.

Cornerbacks got outplayed

Donte Jackson’s early exit after an injury to his quad in the first quarter was a sign of bad things to come. Both cornerbacks Corn Elder (Jackson’s replacement) and James Bradberry were picked on throughout the game for giving up too much space in coverage and missing tackles. Some of the blame for the inconsistencies and miscommunication on defense does fall on Carolina’s defensive coordinator but tackling needed to be better – that is on the players.

Coach’s Corner 11/21/18

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Tigers Are Tough And Poised For Greatness Again

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— by Patrick Magoon (patrickmagoon.com) of WIZS

— photo by Patrick Magoon

Clemson’s Saturday night game at Clemson Memorial Stadium was a special event for several fans, coaches, players and veteran soldiers in attendance. Before kickoff, current and former military personnel and Tigers’ seniors playing out their final home game of this season received words of encouragement and roaring applause from the nearly packed stadium. Fans of the Tigers’ stood in awe as a group of men in military uniforms shot their rifles in the air to honor the fallen soldiers who dedicated their lives to protecting this country.

Clemson advances to 11-0 on the season and remains undefeated against Duke after solid performances from defensive end Clelin Ferrell, senior Christian Wilkins, safety Tanner Muse and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Here is a recap of Clemson’s 35-6 bounce-back win over Duke.

The first half featured an intense battle between Duke’s defensive unit and Clemson’s potent offense. Duke’s energetic defense came out and made a statement early on in the first quarter by limiting Clemson’s offense to four plays or less on each of their first three offensive drives. The Tigers’ failed to put together a scoring play in the first quarter. Lawrence and company went 0 for 7 on third down in the first half, and their ground game was ineffective. The Tigers’ averaged just 1.7 yards per carry and accumulated 17 total rushing yards in the first half.

Duke, on the other hand, moved the ball well, reaching the red zone twice in 15 minutes, which allowed them to take an early 6-0 lead over Clemson. Blue Devils quarterback Daniel Jones was able to string together several quick passes and an impressive 37-yard pass to tight end Daniel Helm.

At the top of the second quarter, the Tigers’ picked up the pace. Lawrence, with the help of receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross, put together an impressive 75-yard touchdown drive, which granted Clemson their first lead of the game. Ross’ highlight-worthy 41-yard touchdown catch down the sideline ignited a fire inside his teammates and gave Clemson the confidence they needed to keep Duke’s offense off of the field. Then with under two minutes left in the first half, Laurence led his offense down the field in eight plays – the result, Ross earned his second touchdown of the night, and the Tigers’ entered the locker room at halftime with a comfortable 14-6 lead. Duke never recovered after that drive.

The Blue Devils received the ball to start the second half and came up empty. Duke’s one chance to put more points on the scoreboard in the second half went down as a missed opportunity after Collin Wareham could not successfully clear the posts on a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Duke did an excellent job of slowing down Clemson’s rushing attack in the first half, but they could only contain Travis Etienne for so long. The Tigers’ wore out Duke’s defensive unit by pounding them with a physical ground game. Clemson controlled the pace of the game for most of the fourth quarter.

Clemson will travel to Pennsylvania to take on ACC coastal conference leader Pittsburgh Panthers on December 1, 2018, at 8:00 P.M. EST.

KVA’s Lane White to Play Baseball at Chowan College

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-Information and photo courtesy Frank Wiggins, Headmaster, Kerr-Vance Academy

Lane White, a senior at Kerr-Vance Academy, signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Chowan College. Pictured with Lane are his mother Sallie, father Chris, and coaches Mike Rigsbee and Todd Wilkerson.

Lane will begin his studies at Chowan in the fall.

 

Free Duke Football Tickets for Students

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Free Duke Football Tickets for Students

Attention elementary, middle, high school and college students. With many of our students headed home for Thanksgiving, Duke Football would like to invite you to join us and sit in the Duke student section on Saturday, November 24th when we host Wake Forest at 12:30 p.m. We are offering one free ticket and concessions vouchers to all area students who would like to come and cheer on the Blue Devils. To take advantage of this offer please visit GoDuke.com/BeAStudent.

Additional tickets for family members and friends can be purchased at a discounted rate of $15, which also include free concessions vouchers. To purchase additional tickets please CLICK HERE, click on the “Student Offers” tab and enter the Promo Code: DUKEFOOTBALL. Please select the “Will Call” option for pickup so you can pick up the paid and complimentary student tickets at the same time.

If you already have tickets to the game please feel free to share this information with friends and neighbors that may be interested in attending a Duke Football game. Help us fill this otherwise unused ticket inventory with fans.

Information provided by Duke Football Promo. Need more information, please call 919-681-Blue(2583).

Coach’s Corner 11/14/18

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The Coach’s Corner Show where we unite the community and local sports all at once. Join the Coach’s Corner Show every Wednesday morning kicking off at 7:45.

On this episode of the “Coach’s Corner Show,” Trey Snide sits down with the Seniors of Kerr Vance Acadamy of the Cross Country, Golf, Tennis, and Volleyball teams.

 

Northern Carolina Conference Volleyball Awards 2018

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Northern Carolina Conference Volleyball Awards 2018

NCC Player of the Year: Emani Foster – Vance County High school
NCC Coach of the Year: Erica Wammock – Louisburg High school

All-Conference:

Emani Foster – Vance County
Journee Hartsfield – Louisburg
Kaylee Saunders – Louisburg
Taylor Fergurson – Louisburg
Kristin House – Louisburg
Nadia Scott – South Granville
Shanna Scott – South Granville
Emily Wright – South Granville
Skye Frazier – Webb
Kara Ayscue – Webb
Ashlyn Smoot – Granville Central
Ashlyn Annis – Granville Central
Kelsey Bierbauer – Roanoke Rapids
Kierra Gray – Vance County
Audrey Wilder – Bunn
Faith Heisler – Warren County

Information was given by Raymond Noel, Granville Central High School Athletic Director, and Women’s Basketball Coach.

Cam Newton and Chrisitan McCaffrey shine in Panthers’ beatdown of divison rival

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— by Patrick Magoon (patrickmagoon.com) of WIZS

— photo by Patrick Magoon

The Carolina Panthers advance to 6-2 on the season following their beatdown of divisional rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America stadium. A pair of picks and a late touchdown helped seal the win after a sloppy performance at the beginning of the second half. The play of the game was Curtis Samuel’s 33-yard double-reverse touchdown. He started on the right side of the field – then took the handoff to the left side of the field where Newton was the lead blocker before finally ending his route on the right side of the end zone after evading multiple tackles.

Quick. Unique. Efficient. Remarkable. These are all words that could be used to describe Carolina’s performance on offense in Sunday’s game. The unit got off to a slow start failing to move the chains on their first possession of the game – then, the pace of the offense changed – in a matter of minutes. With the help of playmakers D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel and the creative mind of offensive coordinator Norv Turner, the Panthers were able to take a comfortable season-high 21 point lead in the first half. The Panthers reached the end zone on all five red zone attempts – and Newton finished the game with a season-best 133.2 passer rating.

Carolina’s receivers broke tackles left and right and dismantled Tampa Bay’s secondary, netting a combined 247 receiving yards. The chemistry shared between Newton and the young receivers on the team continues to improve week-after-week, making them a hard group to stop when they get room to run.

Tampa Bay’s offense struggled to string together several significant gains in the first half. Their players could not easily create separation from defenders. Their offensive line gave up two sacks and let Fitzpatrick absorb multiple hits. The unit found the end zone just once, in the second quarter, when Fitzpatrick connected with his tight end O.J. Howard in the end zone. The Buccaneers saw most of their success on offense when a tight end was targeted, a position that the Panthers’ defense has struggled to cover this season.

The Buccaneers gambled early in the second quarter by electing to run a fake punt play in the on their side of the field to try and ignite some consistency in an otherwise inconsistent offense – unfortunately, they were not able to move the chains after the ball was tipped in the air and knocked away from Tampa’s receiver. Their success through the air was minimal for the rest of the half.

Shockingly enough, the tides turned at the start of the second half. “Fitzmagic” started to come to life at the beginning of the second half, but it was too late. Carolina’s defense got sloppy and therefore, giving up a touchdown in each of the last quarters. Their energy levels depleted and the group shifted to prevent defense, which gave the Buccaneers more space to work with on offense. Their offense struggled with time management and penalties in the third quarter, which allowed the Buccaneers to shrink Carolina’s lead to one touchdown to start the fourth quarter.

“When it’s clicking it’s clicking. But we have to be better in the third quarter. We know that. Everyone notices it,” said Cam Newton via Carolina Panthers staff writer Max Henson.

The top performers of the matchup against the Buccaneers were defensive end Mario Addison, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, running back Christian McCaffrey and cornerback Donte Jackson.

Mario Addison had himself a day. The Panthers finished with three sacks, all of which, were credited to Addison. He did an excellent job of rolling off blocks and disrupting Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick and company struggled to develop a consistent passing game for most of the game when Addison was in his face.

Curtis Samuel is an excellent route runner. When Samuel gets the ball in open space, he does an excellent job at evading tackles. Head coach Ron Rivera pointed out the difference between horizontal playmakers like D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel and other veterans like Torrey Smith. Samuel will grab a pass on one side of the field, and then get tackled close to the other sideline after a big gain. “Torrey Smith is the vertical guy but D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel can make plays sideline to sideline,” said Rivera via Joseph Person of The Athletic.

Christian McCaffrey averaged 4.6 yards per carry and helped the Panthers build their lead with a pair of rushing touchdowns. McCaffrey does it all from setting up blocks to rushing in for touchdowns and everything in between. McCaffrey has shown that he can be a three-down back every game – his numbers prove it.

Donte Jackson continues to make a case for defensive rookie of the year after yet another solid performance on defense. He has now intercepted four passes in eight games. Today, he made a crucial interception to help his team end the game on a high note. Jackson also recorded five total tackles and did an excellent job guarding his man.

The Panthers will make the journey to Heinz Field this week to take on the 5-2-1 Steelers on Thursday at 8:20 P.M. EST.